Skulduggery Pleasant: Living Shadows
by LiveWithLyrics
Summary: Continued from 'The Dying Of The Light'. Even though I absolutely enjoyed the Skulduggery Pleasant series, I felt like I could write a FanFiction following on from the events near to the end of the book. I hope this turns out well. *Sorry to everyone looking to see this continue, I'm not too keen on the direction or the story anymore, sorry.
1. A New Start, A New Threat

The boundaries of this reality were strong but they held no obstacle. Even in her mental form, the sorceress was strong enough to peel away the layers which separated these worlds like rust. Ever since those wretched gods robbed her of her physical form, she had weakened a great deal; but her strength and power had slowly returned to her bit by bit over the years. She was now strong enough to return to the world which she had been unfairly tricked from and to the one person who could make her feel whole again.

Valkyrie Cain


	2. Reunited

**Hey, LiveWithLyrics here! I apologise if some of you thought the last chapter was a bit short but rest assured that was what I fully intended it to be like. My other chapters will be longer and more detailed but there will be at least one chapter every 2 weeks or so but if not I promise I will add new ones sooner. Enjoy This Chapter!**

As Valkyrie Cain's home for the past few years vanished over the hill, Valkyrie let her mind wander back to the-end-of-the-world battle in Roarhaven. When she had lived in this isolated area, she had no worries about new threats or dangers which could put her family at risk.

A little part of her wished she could stay isolated forever for killing Alice. Most of her guilt had been swept away when she helped Danny but a small piece remained.

This was the overwhelming guilt that she had killed her own baby sister.

Yes she had to do it because she needed ownership of the Sceptre of the Ancients to take down Darquesse, but nothing could take away that feeling that she had taken the life from her own sister.

"Valkyrie, are you alright?" Skulduggery Pleasant's voice halted her mind wandering. "By the look on your face you seem to be pondering about the tragedies which happened all those years ago. If you want me to cease my intrusion I can stop now." But Valkyrie didn't want that to happen. Skulduggery was her best friend. He would understand what was going on with her. And right now, he was the only soul she wanted to talk to.

"No, it's perfectly fine. I was just thinking about Alice. She's my sister and I killed her. Who could do such a thing to their own sister?"

"I understand," Skulduggery said sympathetically. "But you have to remember you had no choice; we needed the Sceptre. And considering the fact that Alice is alive and well, you should not feel guilty."

Valkyrie sighed and turned back to the window.

"Valkyrie, I know this is a sensitive subject so we can drop the conversation if you wish."

Valkyrie turned her head slowly back around to face Skulduggery. She said, "Good idea. We've reunited again after all these years to talk about a grim subject such as that." She winced as she said this, demising it as though it was nothing. She quickly added, "Anyway, how is everyone? Are my family okay?" The second question seemed to make her strain a little.

"Your father has kept up with his childish acts, your mother is coping well and Alice has appeared to take more after your father than your mother. There is at least one day a week where she causes mischief for those around her." Valkyrie grinned at this.

"China still continues her position as Grand Mage alone. She refuses to have others near to her position of power. Ghastly's shop is currently being run by a mage known as Bourne Hiccadias. He needs to take the measurements but can still make good quality clothes. I own a few suits myself which have been created by him."

"I definitely need new clothes. I've grown out of my old ones."

"Well you'll probably need some if you want to continue your career as a detective. If not, you may have to look on from the side-lines as my astounding intelligence and amazing abilities put the evil-doers in their place."

Valkyrie chuckled, "Glad to know that your ego hasn't withered away."

Skulduggery tilted his skull a fraction in her direction. "Ah Valkyrie, this ego of mine will never disappear."


	3. Small Family Reunion

**Hello again, everyone! You know the bit I wrote about the writing and publishing time? Scrap it. I have so many new ideas every day and I love this site so I will be writing almost all the time and publishing whenever I feel like it. All this will probably be three days or so, if not slightly longer. So enjoy this next chapter which I had some doubts about. Bye!**

**LiveWithLyrics**

The drive back to Haggard took six hours. Once Skulduggery had to stop for fuel and Valkyrie was glad to get out and stretch her legs. She bought a bottle of water which she drank outside the Bentley. Since Skulduggery wouldn't allow food nor drink in his beloved vehicle, Valkyrie drank whilst surveying their surroundings.

While Skulduggery went in to pay for the fuel, Valkyrie spilt a small amount of water on one of the front tyres. _Skulduggery won't notice_, she thought. Then she quickly finished the last few mouthfuls of the liquid and they continued their journey back to her home.

When the Bentley finally pulled up alongside her house, Valkyrie shivered from the sudden change in temperature and stepped out the car. It was raining outside and the downpour drenched her clothes and hair but the rest were kept at bay by a little water manipulation from Skulduggery.

They walked up to the front door, Valkyrie in front and Skulduggery behind. Valkyrie took a deep breath which she had to admit was a little dramatic, and knocked loudly three times on the polished wood.

A few seconds passed until the door was opened by a woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. When she opened the door fully she said "Yes? Can I help you?" Then her eyes fully focused on the 24 year old stood on her porch.

"Steph…Stephanie?"

Valkyrie nodded and tears sprung to her eyes. Melissa Edgely took a step forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter, and soon both women were crying tears of joy.

"Des! Alice! Come here!" Valkyrie's mum cried.

Desmond Edgely jogged to the front door with Alice clutching his leg. Valkyrie stared into those wide green eyes which sparkled when the light caught them. She looked away quickly to her dad, not wanting to bring back the bad memories she had of her.

"Steph, is that really you?" Desmond said obviously dumb-struck.

"Yes it's really me dad." Fresh tears poured from Valkyrie's eyes.

Both embraced until Alice said "Mummy, daddy, who is she?"

Valkyrie turned to her younger sister. The bubbling mass of emotions were threatening to show again and putting on a brave face, Valkyrie scooted down until she was at eye level with Alice. "Alice," Valkyrie started. Alice gave a small gasp as though she was surprised that a stranger knew her name. "I'm your big sister." She finished.

"Steph'nie?" And before she knew it, Alice had clamped her arms around Valkyrie's neck.

Valkyrie straightened her legs and stood back up to her full height. She needn't to have bothered holding Alice because of the amazing grip she had, but she did anyway, it just felt amazing.

Alice suddenly gave a startled cry and everyone turned their attention to Skulduggery who was still stood behind Valkyrie. For some unknown reason neither Melissa nor Desmond had realised he was there. Even Valkyrie had forgotten he was. She was too caught up in this moment.

"Who are you exactly?" Desmond said with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Skulduggery, the façade." Valkyrie pointed out. "They don't recognise you"

"Oh yes, of course. Melissa, Desmond, allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Skulduggery Pleasant." And when those last few words were spoken, Skulduggery reached his gloved hands to the sigils etched on his collarbones and pressed them lightly. His false face flowed over his skeletal features until the skull was finally exposed.

Both of Valkyrie's parents gave a small gasp but it was short-lived. They both knew who Skulduggery was so there was no need for any further explanation.

Alice however had a very surprising reaction. Her face lit up and she giggled and squirmed in Valkyrie's grip. "You're a skelly-ten!" She giggled again and reached out to touch Skulduggery's skull.

If Skulduggery had any facial features they would resemble a look of both amusement and horror. He stood rigid as Alice poked his teeth and his cheekbones. When she was done, Valkyrie set her back on the ground and she scurried back to her father's side, still with a grin plastered to her face.


	4. The Truth Hurts

**Hello again, LiveWithLyrics here! I'm going on holiday for a while so I'm uploading two chapters so you don't get bored while I'm away. If I get the chance, I might start the next chapter while I'm away. Also these reviews I've been getting are awesome. Thank you so much to the people who have or will review my work. Words have power and those words which you have spoken have given me confidence and are helping me with my writing. Thank you so much!**

**I've also realised that I haven't done a disclaimer so here's one now:**

**Disclaimer: The Skulduggery Pleasant Series is owned by The Golden God (a.k.a Derek Landy). There are some characters which have been created by yours truly but most of the main ones have been brought into existence by him. I own none of them.**

Skulduggery had departed shortly afterwards with an excuse involving China. The Edgleys had then gone into the living room and had a small conversation about Valkyrie's career as a detective. It was somewhat awkward for her.

"Steph, about this detective-sorcerer business…" Her father started.

"Yes?"

"Are you fully happy with what you're doing?"

This question made Valkyrie think for a while. She knew her parents were concerned for her safety. But she was 24 years old, she needed them to accept the fact that she was old enough to take care of herself and to make her own decisions.

"Dad, it's what I've wanted since I was twelve. I love everything about it."

Desmond opened his mouth to speak but Valkyrie beat him to it.

"I know what you're goi9ng to say, what both of you are." She said this whilst gesturing to them both, "That it's too dangerous, I'm going to get hurt or I'm going to die." Her parents stiffened when she said this. It was clear that this conversation was also making them uncomfortable.

"Honestly I have been beaten more times than I can count, have had bones broken and even saved the world a few times. As in edge-of-the-apocalypse save the world. And as you can see I am alive and perfectly sane, you have no need to worry about me."

"Steph, it's our job to worry about you. It's every parent's job to worry about their children. What sort of parent would we be if we didn't worry?"

"The bad type, I know, Dad. I'm 24 years old though. I'm basically an adult and I can take care of myself. You need to leave me to choose what I want to do with my life."

Silence.

"We know, it's just hard to watch your child leave your care. It's what every parent dreads and what some look forward to. It's like they take a part with you when they leave."

"But I won't leave, ever. I love you all and wherever we go and whatever happens we will always be together. I don't think you realise how much you mean to me, Alice included. I would do anything to protect you, and I mean anything. You guys mean the world to me."

Her mother had started to cry and her Dad looked close to it. She pulled them in for a hug and they stayed like that for a while. Valkyrie wanted to stay like this forever. Just frozen in that moment made a smile creep onto her face.

Then that feeling of warmth faded and guilt replaced it. She had dreaded telling her parents that they had to let her go. She had dreaded their reaction but resented what would gradually come.

After all, the truth hurts.


	5. Looking After Alice

Valkyrie had left soon afterwards to go and start living at Gordons. It was after all her house since she had turned 18. She gathered some things from her bedroom and placed them in a cardboard box. She then got into the Oompa Loompa and drove away from her parent's house. She saw them and Alice on the porch waving goodbye as she backed out of the drive.

Gordon lived at the other end of Haggard but it only took seven minutes to get there. The mansion was secluded and there were no signs of civilisation for miles. _Just the way I like it_, Valkyrie thought.

It was dark when she pulled up but the light on the porch came on, illuminating the path to the house. The light was also solar charged so there was no need to plug it into any electrical sockets.

She fished for the keys in her pocket, found them and unlocked the front door.

Shadows clung to every surface but they were soon forced into hiding when Valkyrie flicked the light switch for the main hall. The yellow glow flooded into the room, no corner was left un-lit.

Valkyrie gradually worked her way around the ground floor, flicking every light switch she could find. Next she went into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of popcorn and chucked it into the microwave. She then patiently waited for the tell-tale beep that it was ready.

While she waited, her phone rang. The caller ID displayed that it was her mother and so she pressed the green phone button and brought the phone to her ear.

"Steph?"

"Hi, Mum. Is everything OK?"

"Yes thanks. We were just wondering if you would be able to babysit Alice tonight. We're going out tonight and our other sitter just got back to us saying she was unable to do so."

"Yea sure, bring her over. I'm still at Gordons."

"Thank you, Steph We'll be there soon."

"Okay, bye."

But before Valkyrie could hang up, her mother said, "Steph?"

"Yes?"

"We love you. I hope you know that."

"I love you too, Mum."

"Bye."

"Bye."

When both women had hung up, Valkyrie pondered why her mother had said that. There was nothing wrong with it but it was just the way she said it. She sounded sad, as though it had pained her to say those words. It was probably to do with her job but before she could wonder any further, the microwave beeped and Valkyrie carried the popcorn to the living room. She dropped onto the largest sofa and dug around for the remote until her hand closed around it and she pulled it from the dark recesses at the back of the furniture. She pointed the remote at the blank screen and then realised that it was the remote for the DVD player. Valkyrie grumbled and began another search for the remote which would control the TV.

When it was found, she sat down and began to flick through the TV guide whilst munching on her popcorn. She finally decided to watch _'The Big Bang Theory' _so she selected it with the remote. She then settled down and waited for her parents to arrive.

When the doorbell finally rang, Valkyrie jumped up off the sofa and walked to the door. She swung it wide open and was almost knocked back when Alice sprang forward and latched onto Valkyrie's leg.

"Hi, Stephnie!" Alice said. She giggled loudly as her grip tightened.

Valkyrie chuckled, "Hey, Alice." She looked up as her parents walked to the door.

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle this Little Miss tonight? She won't be too much trouble?" Desmond asked.

Valkyrie smiled, "Dad, I'm sure I can handle her. Just one question though, is she ticklish?"

"A great amount." Her Dad smiled.

Valkyrie's smile widened into a grin, "Then I'm sure everything will be fine. Have fun."

Her Mum piped in then, "I'm sure we will, Sweetie. And thank you for doing this by the way. We'll be picking her up at 2 in the morning or something like that so could you please put her to bed at half past ten."

"Sure thing. It actually depends if she's willing to sleep with all this energy she appears to have."

"I'm sure you'll manage. Bye now, Steph."

"Bye."

When the lights of her parent's car had disappeared behind the trees, Valkyrie stepped inside and closed the door. She went back to the living room to find Alice sat in front of the TV engrossed with another episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'. She was also eating Valkyrie's popcorn but she didn't mind, young sisters had a tendency to do those types of things.

Valkyrie sat down on the sofa, sinking into the soft cushions. As if sensing her, Alice turned around and asked, "Stephnie can I sit with you?"

Valkyrie turned her attention away from the show and back to Alice. She replied, "Sure you can. Is it uncomfortable down there?"

As Alice stood up she nodded and started to complain, "It's cold and hard and the TV hurts my eyes from there."

Valkyrie laughed, "I'd imagine so you Silly Billy. Come up here and sit next to me. Oh, and bring the popcorn if you want."

Alice bent down and grabbed the popcorn with both hands then she walked over to where Valkyrie was sat. She handed the popcorn over and settled down into the crook Valkyrie had made by bending her legs. Valkyrie set her hand onto Valkyrie's arm. The moment she did, everything went quiet then the colours in the room began to brighten until they all faded to white. The last thing Valkyrie felt was Alice laughing as she faded into unconsciousness.

**Ooooooh, cliff-hanger! What's happened with Valkyrie? Why did it happen? I'm going to leave it there and hopefully get started after my hols. See ya!**

**LiveWithLyrics**


	6. Memories

**So, I'm back and have another chapter ready. This was written in two countries over a week. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant. **

**LiveWithLyrics**

* * *

Valkyrie awoke in a city in ruins. She stood and took a quick glance at her surroundings and saw the colossal building of the Sanctuary. She was in Roarhaven, no doubt. Her hearing finally returned and she could hear the sounds of an ongoing battle in the distance. She decided to head off in that direction and started to run.

But before she could take a single step, Roarhaven started to swirl around her and she eventually became dizzy. The swirling finally stopped and settled down to take the forms of shelves which loomed over her. Junk scattered the floor and walls boxed her in. She heard a noise to her left and spun around to face the origin.

What she saw surprised her a little. It was her younger self clad in the enchanted clothes Ghastly had made for her. The Young Valkyrie was carrying something in her arms; it looked like a small bundle of something. And then it dawned on her. How could she forget the very thing which had been plaguing her dreams for the past five years?

"Please, God, no." she whimpered.

The Young Valkyrie placed baby Alice in a large bowl which had been discarded on a nearby table. She then twisted her body around to bring out a black glove which ran halfway up her arm.

The Death Touch Gauntlet.

Valkyrie had begun to cry now. Tears were streaming down her face. "Please, don't make me go through this again."

The young Valkyrie was saying something but Valkyrie wasn't paying attention. She was more focused on her chubby, adorable, green-eyed sister quietly sleeping, oblivious to what was currently happening.

The Young Valkyrie placed her outstretched hand on Alice's chest. A crack sounded from where the glove met Alice's chest and she went still.

Valkyrie cried out as she watched her sister's life leave her. The Young Valkyrie then reached into jacket and brought out the Sceptre of The Ancients. When she had realised the ownership had passed to her, she put the Sceptre back in her jacket and brought out the eight pointed star etched with sigils which would start a pulse.

The Young Valkyrie pressed the star to Alice's chest and pressed the sigil which would activate the device.

"Please work please work please work please-" She quietly said.

The beep sounded and then nothing.

"NO!" Young Valkyrie screamed. "NO! PLEASE!"

The shop began to swirl around faster and faster until it resembled different colours of different proportions flying around each other. It looked like what you would imagine the inside of a tornado looks like.

By now, Valkyrie was on the ground sobbing her heart out. Even though it was in her past, no matter how hard she tried she could never get away from what she did.

"Hey, sis." Valkyrie looked up with teary eyes, already knowing who she was going to see.

Alice stood just a few metres away in the same clothes Valkyrie had last seen her in.

Valkyrie was too shocked to speak but she still managed to utter a few fragments of words before she fully composed herself.

"Wha…? Ali…How are you here?" She managed.

Alice calmly strolled forward in an unnerving manner. She reminded Valkyrie of the Jitter Girls, but minus the jerky movements.

When she was only a few steps from Valkyrie, she spoke, "I am Alice's mental form or subconscious in another term. But I am not the same as her main mental area. I am a different part of her mind, just like Darquesse was yours."

Valkyrie paused, and then quietly asked, "How do you know about Darquesse?"

"Even when Alice, the physical Alice, was an infant, I picked up different bits and pieces of what was going on and came to the conclusion that Darquesse came from you and that she was your True Name."

Valkyrie nodded, "That's correct, but I still want to know why you're here."

Alice's subconscious sighed and then resumed speaking, "I am still in a separate part of Alice's mind simply because she hasn't yet recognised the magic bubbling inside her. Her magic is solely unique in today's world of sorcerers, originating from the Last of the Ancients. She can create alternate realities for whomever she chooses whether they be realities of that person's nightmares or ones of which they cherish. Yours as an example was a nightmare."

"She can also manipulate the minds of mortals and sorcerers as well as taking control of one's brain, but those with strong minds such as you or the Skeleton Detective are immune to its effects. She has an extremely rare type of Sensitive magic"

Valkyrie frowned then spoke, "If I'm immune, how was I brought here in the first place?"

"Ah, of course. You were brought here simply by my doing. I needed you to understand this information and so when you touched Alice's bare skin, you were mentally transported here."

Valkyrie inhaled deeply, taking in this new information. She had wanted Alice to say clear of magic due to all the threats and dangers it posed, but now she was unable to do so. If she couldn't keep Alice away from the truth, she sure as hell was going to try and slow her down.

As if sensing her decision, her surroundings began to spin faster and faster until there were nothing more than a swirling blur. Then bit by bit, the swirling mass began to calm down and different pieces of furniture were slowly being formed.

Valkyrie closed her eyes as she was gradually brought back to reality.

* * *

**A/N: Whilst reading the exclusive chapter from TDOTL in **_**Armageddon Outta Here**_**, I realised that the chapter was called **_**Living In The Shadow. **_**And then I remembered that the title of my fanfic is called Living Shadows. This is entirely accidental and I didn't realise that both title share the same words.**

**Anyway I'm gonna get started on the new chapter soon so hang tight and it'll be up before you know it!**

**LiveWithLyrics.**


	7. The Start of A Thing

**Okay, I'm VERY sorry for the delay, it's been AGES since I last posted. I also developed a slight case of Writers Block which made me think about whether or not I should continue this story. But rest assured, I will keep writing for my pleasure, and yours.**

**I'm also starting the 30 day Skulduggery Pleasant challenge. There will be two questions per update. The questions are at the bottom of this page. Thanks to Deadgirl19 for finding them for me!**

**Also for you Valduggery fans out there, there is a small bit of it in here. ;)**

**LiveWithLyrics**

Gordan's living room swan into focus and Valkyrie sat forward with a gasp. She started to breathe heavily until she eventually calmed down and the breaths became regular ones. She reached for her phone, unaware of Alice's huddled, sleeping form on the sofa. Valkyrie nearly sat on Alice's face before she realised where she was. Chuckling to herself, she picked Alice up bridal style and carried her to one of the many rooms in Gordan's mansion. She tucked her in to one of the four poster beds and left her to her dreams.

Valkyrie tip-toed down the stairs and went straight to her phone. One missed call and a voicemail from Skulduggery. She listened to it whilst it passed on Skulduggery's message that he had finished his exchange of words with China. She pressed his speed-dial and waited for him to answer.

After four rings, Skulduggery picked up and started the conversation with another one of his many smart remarks, "Was the temptation of speaking to me yet again, too great to resist?"

Valkyrie could hear the smile in his voice. She rolled her eyes and replied, "You wish, but I needed to talk to you anyway. Alice has hidden magic inside her; I was taken into her subconscious a few minutes ago."

A pause, "I'll be right over." He hung up.

The Bentley pulled up, the sound of the gravel sliding against each other signalling its arrival. Skulduggery got out and locked the vehicle behind him. He strode up to the front door and knocked loudly three times.

Valkyrie got up from where she was sat, walked to the door and opened it.

One of the good things about being tall was that she needn't crane her neck to look up at Skulduggery any more. She could also appear more intimidating more now than when she was younger. She made a mental note of this and stepped aside whilst motioning for Skulduggery to enter.

When they were both seated on the sofa, Skulduggery spoke, "So, what happened?"

Valkyrie went into detail about her encounter with Alice's subconscious. She told him what the subconscious told her, Alice's abilities, who could be influenced and the reason why she was pulled there in the first place. She left out the bit where she saw herself kill her sister.

"I don't want anything bad to happen to her." She finished.

Anxiety started to creep up on Valkyrie but she quickly pushed it down. She began to twiddle her thumbs to stay focused on not becoming nervous.

Skulduggery reached over and rested his gloved hand on her forearm. Her heartbeat quickened at his touch. She had never felt like this since her early teens but now those feelings were staring to return. She dragged her gaze upwards and looked into his eye sockets. The shadows were playing inside his skull.

Skulduggery spoke," Valkyrie, someone with you as their sister will be completely fine. Alice has proven from a very young age that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And when you put the two of you together, you get a strong willed, young woman who also happens to be the partner of the greatest detective in history and a cheeky, determined seven year old who has an occasional tendency to seize possession of said detective's glorious hats."

"Have I met this detective yet?" Valkyrie asked, her twiddling ceased.

Skulduggery tilted his head at her," What sort of question is that?"

She smiled, "A question that you're supposed to answer." She copied his head tilt.

Skulduggery opened his jaw to answer when he lost his balance (which was an impossible feat for someone like him.) and fell off the sofa onto the floor. Valkyrie burst out in quiet fits of laughter, not wanting to wake up Alice. He grabbed her leg and accidently pulled her on top of him. Her laughter was cut short when she flopped clumsily onto his chest.

"Ah," Skulduggery said.

"Oh." Valkyrie said.

Valkyrie awkwardly got to her feet, her hair falling over face as she did so. When she was about to stand up fully, she tripped over Skulduggery's feet and she fell back onto him again. He grunted underneath her weight.

"Um," Valkyrie said apologetically, "Sorry."

She managed to get up successfully a second time before hauling a confused looking skeleton after her. When they were both stood facing each other, Valkyrie spoke, "Skul, you can stop holding my hand now."

He looked down to see that their fingers were indeed intertwined. He let go and took an awkward step back. Quickly trying to change the subject, he asked, "What's with the shortening of my name? I find Skulduggery perfectly fine to say." He has his head tilted yet again, but this time it was in the I-want-to-know-why way.

Valkyrie shrugged and said, "Because Skulduggery seems like a mouthful to say. I wanted to try it shorter."

"It sounded disastrous. For your sake and everyone else's, do not attempt it again."

"But Finbar says it." She pointed out.

"Yes but I don't interact with Finbar as much as I do with you."

"So can I call you Skul-man then?"

"God no. What did I just say?"

"Something." She had a grin on her face.

A short silence followed where both detectives had a staring match. Skulduggery won when Valkyrie turned away to the kitchen.

"I'm gonna get more food. If you want, you can stay. But just be warned, there is the evilest hat snatcher in the world residing in one of the many rooms above us. If you want to keep your hat intact," she pointed to the ground where Skulduggery's hat lay," You'd better keep it down."

Remembering their earlier conversation, Skulduggery asked, "So you do know who I am then?" There was a hint of smugness in his voice.

Valkyrie only stuck her tongue out before leaving the room.

Skulduggery stared after her.

* * *

**Okay, here goes: **

**1.) Your Favourite character.**

**This is a hard one. I would say my top three are Skulduggery, Valkyrie and Anton. I would relate to Anton because he has that non-sociable attitude towards others at times but at other times he can be humorous and friendly. But when I look forward to the next chapters I always look out for either Skulduggery or Valkyrie.**

**Skulduggery because he is witty, sophisticated, protecting and scary (just like me at times.). I love how he can change from one personality to the next and also how he and Valkyrie remain close friends no matter what. **

**2.) Your Least Favourite Character:**

**The Reflection 100%. I understand that she felt lonely, used and isolated but that gives her no reason to go and murder Crystal, attempt to kill Valkyrie and try to take over her life. I just couldn't stand how she and Skulduggery were working side by side in TDOTL. I cringed so much.**


	8. Wall of Worlds

**One of my favourite songs has been re-written (by myself) and added to this chapter to suit the circumstances. See if you can guess what it is ; )**

**Disclaimer: I really need to remember to do this more often. I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant. As much as I want to, I don't : ( **

**LiveWithLyrics**

* * *

As the sorceress continued tearing away the layers, she was suddenly reminded of a song she remembered. At least she thought it was a song. She remembered the rhythm and that was something considering how she was at that moment. She added words to it and conjured up a song of her own. It went something like this:

_Give me a glimpse; give me a sliver of thought_

_As to what it'd be like to watch the world burn._

_I'm losing focus, but one thing's crystal_

_I'm getting closer to it and there's nothing you can do_

_Layer from layer from layer_

_Layer from layer from layer_

The sorceress knew the rhythm wasn't perfect but she continued regardless. It was the only thing she could hold on to while she dug through realities. Even though she had neither vocal chords nor a mouth to speak with, she imagined the song in her head and let it power her whilst she worked. She was getting closer, she knew it.

_This wall of worlds right here, _

_Will yield before my great power,_

_When you die, the only place you'll be,_

_Is nowhere neither heaven nor hell can see,_

_Yeah!_

_When you die, the only place you'll be,_

_Is nowhere neither heaven nor hell can see,_

_When you die, the only place you'll be,_

_Is nowhere neither heaven nor hell can see,_

_Layer from layer from layer,_

_Layer from layer from layer_

_Layer from layer from layer_

_This wall begins to break up, _

_This wall of worlds right here,_

_Will yield before my great power_

_You tried to expel me,_

_I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming,_

_You tried to expel me,_

_I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming,_

_I'm here._

The sorceress found the opening and poured her magic into it. She could feel it giving in to her, feel it breaking, and feel it letting her through. She burst forth and erupted back onto earth with thunder and lightning accompanying her. Even with her level of power, she had to admit that it was a tad dramatic.

She increased the air pressure around her and sent it to all the sorcerers in Ireland, America, Australia, England and Africa. She wanted them to know she had come back. She gave a slight coma to Valkyrie because she was nice like that. She wanted her to feel just like she had all those years, cut off from everyone else. The coma would only last three days though.

But she didn't send the pressure to everyone though, she felt tired and lazy which was probably why she needed a host as soon as possible…

She flew at high speed towards the nearest person, a young woman closing up a convenience store. The sorceress overtook the brain and wiped the woman's personality so that what was left of her own would settle in its own space. Finally, her magic flooded the body and then she relaxed.

Darquesse was back, and this time she was staying.

* * *

**Here are more of ze questions:**

**These next two have been created by me so please ask if you want to use them for your own, thanks! :**

**3.) What do you think about the supposed movie for the series?**

**When I heard about this, I got excited. I always love a good movie which was created for some books. And I always love to read the books before the movie.**

**The one issue I have about this is that when it comes out, most people will see it and be like, "Omg, that looks amazing we should go see it." even though they have never read the books. I'll probably get annoyed because they don't even have a clue what it's about and will like it because of the movie. Grrr**

**(If anyone has a problem with this just note that these are my views and I'm sorry if I have offended anyone.)**

**4.) Would you still get the same book as a paperback after you have the hardback copy?**

**It depends what it looks like or what it contains. I have both the hardback and paperback versions of 'Armageddon Outta Here', 'The Maleficent Seven' and the whole Skulduggery Pleasant series on my Kindle. I got the paperback because it has three new stories but then afterwards I felt like they were too short and lacked some detail. They were good but I needed more. Especially 'Theatre Of Shadows' I know why only some got the full copy, and because of that, I am quite jealous.**


	9. Under The Weather

**14 reviews, yay me! Thank you guys so much!**

**Disclaimer: I solemnly swear to admit that I don't own Skulduggery Pleasant.**

* * *

Skulduggery was meditating.

He felt bored and needed something to distract him from Valkyrie. He had no idea why he was feeling like this but it felt natural. And then he began to doubt himself as he had been doing for the past few minutes. She was his work partner and best friend for Christ sake! He was also a skeleton which also made it a bit weirder. Then another thought change. Valkyrie probably wouldn't even care about his imperfections. She loved him for who he was, bones and all.

Then the doubts came again, leaving him in a constant loop of feelings. So he eventually had to resort to meditating. This from of relaxation helped him a lot. He was so caught up in it that he almost didn't feel the tingle in his bones and the crash and thud from the kitchen.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had shot out of his chair and raced to the source of the noise.

When he got to the kitchen, the sight before him made him stumble.

Valkyrie was sprawled across the wooden floor, a sandwich near her outstretched hand. Blood was running from her nose.

Skulduggery quickly got her in the recovery position. He then laced his fingers together and proceeded to give her CPR. He whipped out his phone and called Doctor Synecdoche. She picked up after 5 rings.

"Whaaaat?" She slurred. He had obviously woken her up but she never acted like this whenever she was.

"I need you over at Gordan Edgley's house immediately. Valkyrie has collapsed and I don't know what the matter is."

A short pause, "I'll notify Grand Madge Sorrows then I'll be there. 10 minutes maximum." She hung up.

Skulduggery lightly slapped Valkyrie's cheek then pumped her chest again. He was having no luck at this.

* * *

Exactly 10 minutes later, Synecdoche arrived with an ambulance type vehicle along with two Cleavers. She told them to stay on the porch and await further instructions then she entered the house.

What she saw shocked her. Skulduggery was knelt at Valkyrie's body with her head on his lap. Acting on instinct, she quickly threw herself down and passed her already glowing hand over Valkyrie's face.

"Definite signs of a coma. Although there is no indication of how it occurred. I'm sorry but I can't tell when she'll come around."

Skulduggery swivelled his skull towards her. "You can't do anything?" He growled.

Synecdoche's eyes widened at his menacing tone. "The best thing I can do for her now is to take her back to the Sanctuary where she'll be monitored. She will be cared for by me and any other doctors around the Medical Wing. If it makes you feel any better, I can have her in a private room. You'll just have to wait for the time being, Skulduggery."

He lowered his head back to Valkyrie's comatose form. "I apologise for my outburst earlier on. It was completely uncalled for. I just worry about her."

"I understand. No need to apologise."

Skulduggery picked Valkyrie up and carried her to the door. He turned to the Cleavers. "One of you takes Valkyrie to the van. The other stays here until we leave." He turned back to Synecdoche. "She has a sister upstairs. I need to get her."

"By all means."

Skulduggery nodded and walked to one of the rooms he thought Alice was in. He opened the door quietly and peeked inside. He had guessed correctly. Before he could make a move to wake her, she turned her head to face him. She looked scared.

"Who are you?" she asked. It was too dark and so she was unable to see his face. It was understandable.

"It's me, Mr Skelly-ten. Stephanie's not feeling very well so she's going to the doctors. You need to come with me so we can all stay together."

Alice got out of the bed and walked over to Skulduggery still in her clothes. She took his hand and together they made their way downstairs where Alice then proceeded to lace up her shoes. When she had finished she took Skulduggery's hand again and they made their way outside to the van.

The Cleaver who had taken Valkyrie was sat at her feet. With a glance from Skulduggery, he moved to the other side of the van where the other Cleaver was sat, thus leaving a space where Skulduggery and Alice could sit. Synecdoche was behind the wheel.

Skulduggery moved Valkyrie down so that he could sit next to her head. Alice sat next to him. She began to stroke Valkyrie's hair lovingly. She looked so peaceful lying there. Her breathing was at a normal pace, her chest rising and falling indicating so.

_How has this managed to happen?_, Skulduggery thought. _Surely something else has caused this._

He rested his head back against the wall of the van and went over the possibilities.

* * *

**Questions! :**

**5.) Favourite fight scene.**

**Hmmmm, there are so many which I like! Let me see…**

**The bit where Lord Vile and Darquesse are fighting each other in ****_Death Bringer._**** It's quite humorous in a way because you normally have the good guys fighting the bad guys but in this case it was two baddies fighting each other. It also displayed both of their powers which were both really awesome.**

**6.) A Scene That Made You Emotional.**

**Ghastly and Anton's death. I remember reading it the weekend before this one and I was reading whilst it was building up to that moment. Soon I realised that their deaths were coming up and I was like "No, not now. Not now." Even though I knew it was going to happen. When it did, I cried. I cried for a while then started to laugh 'cause I'd ruined my make-up (Me and my family were going out for the day.). It was weird because I'd never cried at that scene before. **


	10. Until The End

**Okay, questions!**

**Sorry these are late; I was focused more on the story. So for those who have been confused or are wondering about things, here are the explanation thingies!**

**minerbuilder12:**** Let's just say Skulduggery doesn't like people poking and prodding him XD. And no, Alice didn't use some accidental power to add to the shunting. Neither was it Darquesse. Her mother just sounded sad because she hadn't seen her in so long and she was just emotional.**

**China sorrows worshipper:**** Nope, I didn't make a ship! Sorry if you hoped for one :p**

**LionsandTrolls:**** *high fives again***

**Deadgirl19:**** There will be more Valduggery as I love the idea of those two together. And as for Saracen and Dexter, I'll see how the story progresses and hopefully I'll be able to add them in later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.**

** Enjoy this chapter!**

**LiveWithLyrics**

* * *

When they finally pulled up to the Sanctuary, Valkyrie was immediately whisked away to the Medical Wing. She was to be given her own room with advanced equipment so she could be closely monitored. Another reason why she was in a Medical room was because Skulduggery had ordered it.

A phone call had to be made so Skulduggery travelled to a secluded space and rang Valkyrie's parents. He tried twice before they picked up.

"Who is this? Could you not have called at any other time; I don't like to be interrupted when I'm eating at a fancy restaurant with my wife who suddenly looks very irritated. Thanks, now I'm going to have to endure an hour long lecture about how I shouldn't answer my phone when we're out somewhere. Much appreciated."

"My apologies Mr Edgley, but I need you and your wife to come to the Roarhaven Sanctuary. Valkyrie has mysteriously been placed under a coma by reasons unknown. I thought you might want to be notified about the situation."

There was a moment where scuffling could be heard as Desmond passed the news onto his wife. Seconds later, he was back on the phone.

"I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name Mr…?"

"Skulduggery Pleasant, we met the other night remember."

"Oh yes, wait, where's our other daughter?" He sounded panicked.

"Alice is with us at the Sanctuary. And as for the whereabouts if you can't remember, the city is next to a large lake. There is a path that you have to take in order to arrive there. It's the first one to your left."

"Thank you for the help, Mr Pleasant. We'll be there shortly." He hung up.

Skulduggery put his phone back in his pocket and walked back to the main body of the Sanctuary. He told a nearby mage to go to the Medical Wing and tell Doctor Synecdoche that he would be at the main entrance to the city if any urgent matters aroused. The sorcerer hurried off one way and Skulduggery the other. It was about a 5 minute run to the gates and another one to the invisible bubble surrounding the city. He got there relatively quickly as he had no flesh to slow him down and no lungs to burn in his chest. He reached the car where the guard for the city watched for any mortals who strayed too close to Roarhaven.

The old man saw him and nodded a greeting. He then went back to whatever he was doing before Skulduggery showed up and Skulduggery waited for Valkyrie's parents to pull up.

And they did, about 15 minutes later; a black Ford cruised up the dirt track and stopped a few feet in front of the two sorcerers. A man and woman got out of the car and approached Skulduggery.

The old man rolled one of the car windows down and said, "I'm afraid the road up ahead is closed…" And then he realised they were with Skulduggery. "It doesn't matter; just doing my job is all." The window went up.

Nothing was said between the three at first, it was just an awkward silence.

Finally Melissa spoke, "Sorry about the delay. Des didn't know where he was going."

Desmond looked at his wife, "I did,"

"You took the second lane instead of the first one."

"But I didn't see the first one,"

"I told you I saw it,"

"I thought you meant the one that I saw,"

"Enough, Desmond, we can continue this later. We need to get to Steph and Alice." She turned to Skulduggery. "Take us to her immediately, Mr Pleasant."

He nodded, "Of course, right this way."

They all made their way back to the Ford. Skulduggery sat in the front, Desmond in the passenger seat and Melissa in the back. No one spoke a word, not even when they pulled up to the Sanctuary.

Skulduggery led the way towards the Medical Wing and to Valkyrie's room. A crowd of sorcerers were gathered around her room. They parted to let a woman with unnatural beauty walk to where the group of three were stood; China Sorrows gave them her best smile.

"I adore you," Melissa and Desmond drawled in unison.

They looked at each other with rage in their eyes.

"I love her more,"

"No you don't, "

"Yes I do,"

"Don't!"

"Do!"

"Don't!"

"Do!"

"China, these two are a happily married couple, and are the parents of Valkyrie and her sister. If you want to avoid any further arguments," he said whilst indicating the squabbling couple, "Stop influencing them with your magic."

"Well hello to you too," China said. She dropped her smile and her dark eyes flitted between the now confused couple. Their postures relaxed but their gazes didn't waver from China's face.

"Mr and Mrs Edgley, may I introduce you to China Sorrows. She is the Grand Mage of this Sanctuary and specialises in an Adept discipline known as Symbol Magic. She also has the ability to make both mortals and sorcerers fall in love with her." Skulduggery said.

"Melissa, Desmond, a pleasure to meet you. Alice has already told me who you are."

"China," Skulduggery said in a warning tone.

China laughed, "My dear Skulduggery, if you think I plan to use their names to my own advantage you are quite mistaken. I wouldn't do anything of the sort to the relatives of my friends." That smile again.

China turned her attention to the sorcerers still grouped around Valkyrie's room. "All of you go back to doing whatever you were doing before Valkyrie showed up. You can talk, smile and stare at her when she comes back around. That's an order."

Immediately, the sorcerers dispersed, not wanting to upset their Grand Mage. By doing so, they cleared the way so the group could get to the private room. It was down the same corridor as five other private rooms. This was the only one which was occupied.

Alice was asleep on the sofa opposite the bed, she was curled up with her hear resting on a pillow. Whereas Valkyrie was on her back, her hair spread out like a black halo atop the cushion which she rested her head upon. Skulduggery's non-existent heart leapt when he saw her face. Even when she was sleeping, she still looked beautiful.

She was hooked up to a number of machines including a feeding device hooked into her arm and a breathing tube inserted into her mouth.

Doctor Synecdoche was typing on a modern looking device whilst switching her gaze back and forth between the computer on her right and to the device in her hands. The computer seemed to display Valkyrie's current condition. The screen next to that displayed her heart rate.

Synecdoche looked up when they walked in. Her face was calm but puzzled. She strode over to where Skulduggery was in the doorway, watching the Edgleys talking to Valkyrie while she slept. He looked over at her while she approached.

"Would you like to know her current condition?" She asked.

"Shouldn't you be telling her parents first?" He inquired.

"I will after I've told you. I thought you'd like to know first since she is your partner."

"Go ahead,"

"Her pulse is normal, her respiratory pace is normal and no brain damage is evident." She said, looking down at the pad.

Skulduggery stayed quiet, a sign that he was still worried even after he had heard the good news. Remembering her look earlier, he asked," You seemed to be confused earlier, was there something bothering you?"

Synecdoche looked up again from the device. "The time when Valkyrie collapsed, what was it?"

"1:10 am I believe."

It seems like when she went under the coma, every other sorcerer in the Sanctuary felt dizzy and nauseous. I don't know about the others, but when it happened my ears popped. It was just like experiencing high…"

"Air pressure." Skulduggery finished." Although with no physical brain to confuse and no ears to pop, all I underwent was a tingling sensation in my bones.

Skulduggery remained quiet for a moment, "If this happened to then entire population of the Sanctuary, surely it must have occurred to rogue sorcerers and the other Sanctuaries across the world."

"I'll notify Grand Mage Sorrows shortly." And with that, she strode over to the Edgleys and proceeded to notify them about Valkyrie's current condition. Their expressions varied from shocked to sad and then to one of acceptance. Alice had a look of befuddlement on her face.

* * *

Synecdoche exited the room shortly afterwards, on the way to the chambers of China. She looked exhausted, as did the Edgleys in the room. Skulduggery felt no such weariness. The advantages of being a living skeleton were such.

The next hour went by in a blur. All Skulduggery was paying attention to was Valkyrie. Her family were taken to bedrooms close to the room. They were told they could spend one night but had to leave in the morning as it was strictly forbidden for mortals to stay in the Sanctuary. They were still permitted to visit though.

Skulduggery went to 'sleep' in Valkyrie's room. He told himself that he would stay by Valkyrie's bedside until she awoke. He told himself no matter what, he would stay by her side forever if he had to.

"Until the end," He said, and then he slept.

* * *

**7.) A scene that made you laugh.**

**When both Skulduggery and Valkyrie were injured and they were in the Hibernian. Valkyrie was wearing a plain blue hospital gown and then Skulduggery was wearing a pink gown with pink bunnies on it. I kept re-reading that part because it was too good to be read once XD . I like how Skulduggery's dignity was destroyed when he wore that. **

**8.) The character you are most like.**

**As I said in the first answer, I share similarities with both Skulduggery and Anton Shudder. But overall I am like Anton more because of his sophistication, personality and the fact that he appears intimidating most of the time. One similarity I would share with Skulduggery is that I can make up gruesome threats, but unlike him, I don't actually carry them out. I just say them because It makes my friends and enemies shut up.**


	11. Disappearing Act

**20 reviews! Holy shiz, thank you so much! *dances like a lunatic***

**These next three chapters are all connected and my original intention was to have three parts to one massive chapter, but no, three separate ones are what you're getting :p.**

**Introducing two characters from the series, sorry if their personalities are not accurate.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skulduggery Pleasant.**

**LiveWithLyrics**

* * *

Skulduggery woke the next morning and decided to visit the Hall of Remembrance. He gave Valkyrie a quick peck on the cheek and started down the corridor.

He passed Valkyrie's family on the way there and gave them a curt nod as a greeting, they did the same back. They had been told last night that it was strictly against Sanctuary protocol to give shelter to mortals for more than one night so they were unable to stay for a second. The rules were the same for everyone and they had to be obeyed. No exceptions.

When he arrived at his destination, he immediately went over to the pillar which had been engraved with all the names of the sorcerers who had died. Ghastly and Anton's were near the top and so Skulduggery had to fly to touch them. He landed afterwards with such grace he took a moment to reflect on how marvellous he was. His ego boosting was soon cut short when the hazy representations of his friends materialised in front of him.

"Good morning Ghastly, Anton. What a pleasure it is to see you again. I do hope I'm not interrupting anything."

As expected, neither hologram answered. They were just the still images of his friends. Skulduggery marvelled at his sanity before continuing.

"I have developed an affliction towards Valkyrie. It is not something I'm too comfortable since my being a skeleton and all, and the fact that I'm many years older than her…"

He was cut off by an outburst of laughter coming from the direction of the doors to the room. With a little air manipulation, Skulduggery opened the doors fully revealing a laughing Saracen Rue and a grinning Dexter Vex. He strode over to them and they immediately quietened.

"Explanations, now," Skulduggery's voice was quiet and dangerous.

It was Dexter who spoke," Uh…Well Saracen can answer because he actually laughed."

Saracen whirled on him, "That may be so but I wasn't the one who actually began to eavesdrop."

"You should have told me he was going all sensitive-y."

"Is that even a word?"

"Is what even a word?"

"Sensitive-y."

"Probably not,"

Skulduggery growled, interrupting their talkfest.

"We were on our way here anyway and we were just about to open the door when we heard you."

Skulduggery froze, "How. Much. Did. You. Hear?"

"We heard you talking about Valkyrie as well as yourself."

Skulduggery remained silent but continued to fix his sockets on to Dexter's face.

"If you want a full explanation, Saracen laughed because you were pointing out the concerns you have with your body which you think Valkyrie dislikes. Truthfully, Valkyrie couldn't care less of what you look like."

"What do you mean?" Skulduggery asked.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie Cain likes you for who you are. To put it simpler, she likes you. That's the reason why Saracen laughed, you don't realise how much she feels towards you."

Skulduggery was slightly surprised. It was weird hearing that Valkyrie liked him back, but it was also a great relief. He wouldn't have to hide his feelings from her any longer.

"How long have you known?" He asked.

"For a few years now, we can't believe it took you so long to realise." Saracen said.

Skulduggery felt stupid. He felt REALLY stupid. There were no words to express how stupid he felt at that moment.

There was an awkward silence between the three, and then Dexter broke it," How is Valkyrie anyway? We'd heard something happened to her."

"No one knows what's happened to her. If you wanted to pay her a visit later on, she's in the only occupied room near the Medical Wing." Skulduggery said.

"We'll go see her later on, we kinda have things… To do." said Saracen

"Of course. In that case, see you later Dexter, Saracen."

And with that, they all sauntered off in different directions. Dexter and Saracen going one way and Skulduggery the other.

Going back to the Valkyrie's room, Skulduggery contemplated the way Saracen had said _things to do_. The way he'd said it made it sound like they were up to something. It was curious because they'd never expressed a sentence like that before. In a way, it was a mystery begging to be unravelled. Another point was that it gave Skulduggery something to do in his spare time.

The only reason which prevented the detective from jumping to the case was that Dexter and Saracen were two of his close friends. He respected and knew them well enough to not delve into what they were up to.

He reached Valkyrie's room soon afterwards. Her parents and Alice had left earlier on so it was just him and her. _Him and her_, it sounded good in his head.

Skulduggery relaxed back into the chair beside Valkyrie's bed and he told her about his encounter with Dexter and Saracen and his short talk with Ghastly and Anton. He left out how he felt about her though, for that was to be saved for when she woke up.

When he had finished, he joined in on her slumber.

Skulduggery was brought around many hours later when a glowing ball drifted out between Valkyrie's eyes and settled over her stomach.

Immediately, Skulduggery pressed the red sigil which had been etched beside Valkyrie's bed ages ago. The same type of sigil was drawn next to each of the beds in each private room. Their magic stretched t the office of Doctor Synecdoche where its twin would alert her if pressed. Each sigil had a unique pattern for the rooms adjoining the corridor.

An alarm wailed, and with it brought two Cleavers, Synecdoche and a crowd of eager looking sorcerers. The Cleavers blocked the doorway with their scythes after Synecdoche had entered the room. The sorcerers were kept at bay.

Synecdoche stopped when she saw the ball, "Pardon my language but, _what the hell is that?_" She reached out with her glowing hand but was met with a pulse which flowed to, then away from her.

A few seconds later, her hand began to twitch uncontrollably. She jumped back in shock as the glow from her palm faded. "My magic's gone," she whispered.

Skulduggery whipped his head to her, "_What?_"

Synecdoche looked at him and spoke louder, "My magic is gone."

* * *

**Deadgirl19, your wish has been granted!**

**Questions: **

**9.) Something you hate about the series.**

**I don't like how long Tanith had the Remnant stuck inside her. I know that if you have the Remnant in for more than 4 days then it is permanently bonded to you blah blah blah, but I really wanted her and Ghastly to get together. It was a relief when I read the bit where Darquesse took the Remnant out of her but it was too late considering how Ghastly had already been killed.**

**10.) A character you wish hadn't died.**

**Obviously I didn't want Ghastly to die (as I have mentioned this over and over again.) I saw how he adored Tanith, I saw the close friendship between him and Skulduggery and I could also see the brother-like relationship he had going on with Valkyrie. He was one of those characters who you needed in your life. **


	12. Acquiring Information

**Yay, it's my birthday! **

**Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me… *hums the rest***

**Okay, enough of that (it's my birthday), here's the next chapter. This took two tries to complete; the reason why I was so long updating. Enjoy this!**

**IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!**

**Sorry…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skulduggery Pleasant, although there are names and things which I do own.**

* * *

Both Skulduggery and Synecdoche looked to the ball, it was dimming. It started to sink into Valkyrie's chest until it vanished back into her body. Both sorcerers were currently lost for words Synecdoche turned back to her hand and began to flex it, presumably to banish any aches the magic loss was causing.

"I don't understand, how can something do this?" She asked Skulduggery.

"Quite frankly, I have no idea."

"I can't help my patients without my magic. I'm useless!" Hysteria was starting to seep into her voice.

"No you aren't, Doctor Synecdoche. You don't need magic to determine the faults in a patient. Notice how I said _Doctor. _You are a qualified medical genius who works in the Irish Sanctuary as well as the head of the Medical Wing; you are not useless."

Synecdoche took several deep breaths before she spoke, "Fine, but I still want to know what has happened to my magic."

Skulduggery paused, "I'm not fully certain about this, but I have a theory."

"Do elaborate,"

"Did you by any chance take notice of the time when you walked in?

"No,"

"It was ten minutes past one, then exact time when Valkyrie collapsed at Gordan's the other night. This led me to believe that the ball is a form of timer counting down the moments until Valkyrie comes around; as well as the release of your magic. The dimming of the ball was another good indication to this theory of mine."

"So what you're basically saying is that that ball is ticking down to its demise which in turn releases my magic back to me as well as bringing Valkyrie back around."

"Exactly,"

"And you got all of that from the time?"

"Most of it,"

"I must say, that's quite impressive."

Skulduggery just grunted in response. He was going to say _I usually am_, but things like that were saved mainly for Valkyrie. Besides, people like Synecdoche had better things to do than swap banter.

Recognising the grunt as a sign that the conversation had ended, Synecdoche left the room. "I'll let you know about anything to do with her condition." She said. She walked away; taking the Cleavers and few remaining sorcerers with her.

* * *

The next morning brought with it an air of placidity, unlike the rendezvous the previous night. That night brought with it benefits though, as Skulduggery now had an idea as to what was wrong with his partner, as well as what the mysterious ball of light was.

Skulduggery sifted through the neatly stacked books along the shelves in the Irish Sanctuary's library. It was to be a day of research for him as he had nothing better to do. He had been here since the break of dawn and still hadn't discovered anything even remotely related to the ball of light. He was re-reading a book about warlocks for the fourth time when the door to the room clicked, signalling the presence of another. Skulduggery looked up from the page he was currently reading to observe the unnatural beauty of China Sorrows as she calmly strode towards him.

She smiled when she saw him looking at her. Skulduggery felt a pang of annoyance whenever she tried to make him fall for her. Given the circumstances, his annoyance had increased sevenfold. He silently cursed his amazing personality for being too good for China to resist.

"Good afternoon, Skulduggery. What might I ask are you doing?"

"Well I was succumbing to the boredom which was threatening to overwhelm me, but now I seem to be having a casual conversation with the Grand Mage of Ireland. Good afternoon."

China sighed, "I detect a bucket load of annoyance, my dear Skulduggery. Are you quite alright?"

"If you count having your partner-who you have not seen in five years- in a coma, not finding a single snippet of information which relates to her condition and attempting to be charmed by one of your friends as annoyed, than yes Grand Mage Sorrows, I am immensely annoyed."

China looked surprised, "Bedevilment does not suit you."

No response. China was wary now. When the Skeleton Detective was in a foul mood, you always left him alone. He did dangerous and stupid things when he was aggravated.

"And don't call me Grand Mage either. That title is saved for my acquaintances and not my friends."

Still no response, she was pushing her luck. This was a good time to move on to a lighter subject.

"Moving on, I overheard about the ball of light appearing out of Valkyrie last night. I have information which may provide useful to you."

Skulduggery's skull snapped towards her, "You do?"

China only nodded to confirm the fact.

Skulduggery quickly stood, "Shall we go?" He gathered up the books scattered on the table and placed them back on the shelves.

"Of course, right this way." China started towards the door and Skulduggery soon followed. They exited the library and began walking across the Sanctuary.

After reaching the quieter area of the building, the conversation the two had before picked up again.

"I overheard the magic loss which Doctor Synecdoche is currently suffering from. How is she coping?"

"She appears frustrated but I'm sure she'll manage. She has spent most of her time away from the Medical Wing, occupied with finding out what that ball is. So far, nothing."

"I'm afraid she won't find anything of relevance. The books which hold that type of information have great value and as such, do not belong on ordinary shelves such as the ones in the library."

"You have them don't you?" Skulduggery asked, putting two and two together.

"Of course I do! The poor books were to be put on PUBLIC shelves. I simply could not let that happen."

Skulduggery ignored whatever China said next and instead turned his attention to the portraits which adorned the walls. All displayed the profiles of each Grand Mage before China. There was Guild, Meritorious and one other, Hylem Dwyike. Ravel was not up there though. He had never deserved the title of Grand Mage.

The pair ascended the marble stairs which led to China's apartment. Skulduggery focused his attention back on to China who was stood facing him with her arms folded. "Were you even paying attention as to what I was saying?"

"Probably not," He replied.

"I figured as much," She glided into her living quarters with a huff. Skulduggery followed.

The inside of China's apartment was classy but modern and had a touch of sophistication to it all. If Skulduggery was not as equally stylish, he would've been fuming with envy.

China walked over to her bedside cabinet and brushed over what was presumably a hidden sigil. The various others scattered around the room glowed briefly after this action.

China turned to Skulduggery, "Follow me," She said.

She walked over to the bookcase in the corner of the room. Looking closer, Skulduggery noticed that it shimmered slightly. He watched China step through; he followed after a few minutes.

When he emerged on the other side, Skulduggery looked around at his surroundings and saw that he was in a library twice as large as the one belonging to the Sanctuary. Every shelf was stacked with books in every shape and size. It was rather impressive at the rate how China had managed to re-assemble her collection.

"Skulduggery, come here if you would." China's voice echoed through the stacks.

Skulduggery followed her voice until he saw her sat at an elegantly carved desk; a book opened in front of her. She began to read as he neared, "The Lengri were a species which thrived thousands of years ago. They found pleasure in torturing mortals. They were as you could imagine, not a very nice race."

"The Lengri created small balls of energy to temporarily incapacitate their victims. The balls would place the victim in a deep sleep allowing the Lengri to move their victims without disturbances. This sleep could then be removed by the Lengri who had cast the ball or the effects would wear off and the victim would awaken. "

"One victim was an elemental known as Morkal Stern. When the Lengri attempted to subdue him, he attacked them using his magic, which in turn caused the Lengri to panic. One of the group creat3ed a ball and unknowingly gave Morkal a coma which he would never awake from. When the Lengri tried to remove the coma, he was unable to and was punished with a long painful death."

"Now when that unfortunate being had finally passed on, the remaining Lengri turned on each other and began to slaughter their own. The screams heard from the dying Lengri were like a drug to the others, they wanted more. And so a mass extinction occurred, wiping out the Lengri from existence. Not one creature remained." China closed the book and set it aside.

"That's rather impressive, China. How have you managed to obtain this information exactly?" Skulduggery asked.

"My operatives uncovered it in a mortal vault 650 feet underground. I think it's rather amusing how no one knew about it."

"Indeed. I appreciate your help China, it was much needed."

"Oh you flatter me. Now if you wouldn't mind, I have a lot of paperwork which needs to be done. The life of a Grand Mage is such."

She reached under the desk and later drew it back out. Skulduggery knew another pattern was etched into the wood. He nodded to her and made his way towards the bookcase and out China's apartment. He began the long walk back to Synecdoche, to tell her the news.

* * *

**So, another species, another update, more questions: **

**11.) A character you wish was dead:**

**Hmmmm, Kenny Dune? He just struck me as a really annoying character, and if it's one thing I don't like, it's annoying people. Maybe it was the fact that he was a journalist which increased my annoyance of him. I mean, journalists can be rude and annoying (sorry if I have offended any journalists out there) but it's their job. The have to be good at being persistent in order to do their job properly. I just did not like Kenny at all.**

**12.) Your chosen power:**

**Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the amazing power of Necromancy? I mean come on! It is one of the best powers out there. Being able to bend shadows to your will, that is just so cool! But the flaw in Necromancy is that you need an object to hold your power in. What if you lose that object, what are you going to do? But seriously, shadow knives and shadow walking, yes!**


	13. Waking Up

**I don't have much to say for this bit but, thank you to the people who wished me a Happy Birthday. *Gives out hugs***

**I don't know how long this is going to last, but my internet is up. It probably just wants to rub it in my face 'cause of what I posted yesterday.**

**I was thinking, maybe you guys would want to join in the fanfic? Send me your taken names and chosen discipline and I'll add some in the near future. You can join in on the fun ;)**

**Disclaimer: As per usual, I don't own Skulduggery Pleasant. I would if I could but I don't, so there ^. ^**

* * *

"So that's it?" Synecdoche asked. Skulduggery had arrived at her office and told her everything he had found out. When he had begun talking about the Lengri, Synecdoche shivered with repulsion. She couldn't imagine a species even creepier then the Crenga: Dr Nye's species. She quickly thanked every god she could think of that she wasn't alive all those years ago.

Skulduggery merely nodded. "That's everything. Just as the books suggested, we need to wait for any improvements to her condition."

Synecdoche stood straighter, "That reminds me, I have something to show you." She turned back to her desk which was littered with papers. She riffled through them until she finally found what she was looking for: a small stack of records held together by a paper clip in the top left corner. On the front it read:

_Patient: Valkyrie Cain_

_Condition: Coma (Not Medically Induced)_

Before Skulduggery could take it from her, she took the clip off and flipped through the pages to a graph which took up the majority of the page it was on. She then gave it to Skulduggery and pointed to the line travelling horizontally across the length of the graph.

"This line shows the average brain activity for someone in a coma," She then pointed to a different line. This one was dipping and rising in places. The dips were becoming more infrequent as they neared the end of the graph.

"This line however, shows Valkyrie's brain activity in her coma." She pointed to the past two days shown on the graph. "Notice how she was equal with the standard activity on the first day," She then pointed to the second day, "And on the second she had doubled in activity." She stepped back to allow Skulduggery to process this information. He flipped through every other page and then he answered, "She's waking up."

"Exactly," replied Synecdoche. "Looking at the results we have, I'd take an estimate that she would come around in a day or two, maybe less."

Skulduggery smiled inside at this. He slid the paperclip back on to the stack and handed them back to Synecdoche.

"Has Grand Mage Sorrows been notified of this yet? I'd imagine she'd like to know." Asked Skulduggery.

Synecdoche placed the papers back on her desk, "I shall notify the Grand Mage in the morning. We, like other people need our sleep."

"Indeed, good night Doctor."

"You too, Skulduggery."

Both left the office and went their separate ways. Skulduggery back to the room with Valkyrie and Synecdoche: home. Even if the majority of the Sanctuary were resting for the night, there would always be sorcerers carrying out late-night jobs, as well as the Cleavers who stood on guard. The Irish Sanctuary was always busy.

Skulduggery pushed open the door to Valkyries room and entered the lock clicking as he let the door close behind him. He turned to the light switch embedded into the wall and flicked it, causing the lights to switch off. The room was now enveloped in the dark which in turn made it difficult to move in the surroundings, but for someone of Skulduggery's excellence, obstacles such as this proved no such problem. The eyes he no longer had would have led him to bang his shin or bump his head. Sometimes being a skeleton had its perks.

Skulduggery easily managed to navigate his way to Valkyrie's bedside and to the empty chair next to it. As he did every night, he slumped into the chair next to Valkyrie's bed and took hold of her hand. This routine was searing its way into Skulduggery's consciousness. He had no idea whether he should welcome it or push it away. He liked to be organised but one thing he couldn't stand was a continuous routine, he liked new things. The Bentley however was the only exception to this. Skulduggery completed the procedure and drifted off into one of the deepest sleeps he'd ever had.

The ball exited its host at its usual time. Its only purpose was to hold this woman under its influence, and this purpose had been served.

It scattered into separate energies and returned to its creator, giving back her magic. When it separated, the stolen magic was also returned to that other woman. This person would be happy to get their magic back.

The last of the energy was drawn from Valkyrie Cain, giving back the control over her own body. For the first time in three days since she was rendered paralyzed, she opened her eyes…

…And was met with more darkness.

Panic began to wash over Valkyrie, was she blind? Was something else wrong with her? But then her eye adjusted to the shadows and she began to make out the different shapes of the medical equipment which had sustained the basic functions of her body which she was unable to do. She sat up and stretched her muscles, the crack of her many bones accompanying this action.

It was at this point when she fully registered the many wires attached to her body. She did not need them anymore and so pressed the button next to her bed which would disable the machines supporting her. Synecdoche had come in and had explained this once, and surprisingly, Valkyrie had heard every word. _Guess it's true that people in comas can hear others around them_, she thought.

Valkyrie finally found the button and pressed it. The few machines in the room switched off, leaving silence behind. Valkyrie was glad she didn't have to listen to the constant beeping of the heart rate monitor. It was extremely annoying.

She then carefully began to remove the wires attached and inserted in her body. It stung slightly when the needles came out but it felt good to be getting rid of them. Valkyrie hated needles.

Then she noticed someone holding her hand.

Lowering herself back onto the pillow, Valkyrie turned her head towards the person. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, she turned it slowly, making sure she didn't wake whoever it was next to her.

When she saw it was Skulduggery, she mentally face palmed herself. Of course it was him; she could hear him every night since the second. He came in and talked to her about what was going on around the Sanctuary. Apart from her family, he would actually try and have a conversation with her. He would remain with her every night and sleep by her bedside until dawn broke.

_It just shows how much he cares for you, _spoke a voice in her head.

Valkyrie shook that voice away. It was not possible for Skulduggery to like her back. He had better things to do than fall in love. Although Valkyrie secretly hoped that he did have feelings for her, as she had feelings for him. She hoped that that voice was right. She wanted it to be.

She turned her head back to face the ceiling. Still grasping Skulduggery's hand, she gave it a light squeeze and breathed out her exhaustion. The ball leaving her seemed to have taken with it her energy. She closed her eyes and welcomed sleep as it pulled her away from reality.

* * *

**So Valkyrie's back. It felt weird to have her out of the beginning of the story, so I'm glad she's back in it. I guess we need a bit of drama now and again ;)**

**13.) Your Taken Name: **

**Ayuri Horizon. – Ayuri is from a label of some shower gel I saw and Horizon comes from my favourite band, Bring Me The Horizon. They just sound so good together; Ayuri sounds elegant and in my opinion, goes well with the last name Horizon. **

**14.) Your least favourite power:**

**Creating protective shields. Even though it can be super helpful, it won't do much as the enemy can quickly find a way around it. As you read in book one of the series, Meritorious didn't last well against Serpine when he had the Sceptre of the Ancients. I'd imagine you would go with a more helpful ability such as energy throwing. You would have a fighting chance and you could even attempt to bring the enemy down as they near you, instead of shielding yourself and giving the enemy time to think about what they could do to thwart your defense.**


	14. Devious Plans

**Now before anything happens… OOMPH!**

**Who threw that? Please stop and hear me out. I have an apology to make.**

**I am really sorry about the long update. I just got so caught up in my school work and reading books as well as many other fanfics that I kept forgetting to write more chapters. And for that my dearest readers, I am truly sorry. **

**So my apology gifts to you are this chapter and internet cookies. Take them, they're free **

**Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Ní féidir liom féin Skulduggery Pleasant. (- It's in Irish, hehe).**

* * *

Darquesse welcomed the ancient magic as it flowed back into her weakening body. The buzzing sensations it sent through her spirit were exhilarating. She was so caught up in this experience however, that she momentarily forgot about her current situation. She was reminded of it when a burning pain started to spread rapidly throughout her body. It was only seconds after that when she fell to her knees.

"Oh, that," She spat through gritted teeth.

Darquesse breathed in deeply to try and control the pain, but to no avail. The cool air outside the borrowed body quickly turned into scorching air as it entered her lungs. This was a sign which normally told Darquesse she had to vacate. And fast.

Gathering back all the pieces of her magic, Darquesse shot out of the body which was now going through something similar to spontaneous human combustion. It was interesting to watch yet unnerving to witness. The flames would also have consumed her if she had stayed a while longer.

Darquesse cursed herself for her carelessness.

Racing across the night sky, she contemplated what her next move would be. It had to be noticeable. So noticeable in fact, that they – meaning everyone in the Irish Sanctuary – would know she had returned. However, she could also start with something small and then build it up to something else big. Oooh, Darquesse liked that idea very much.

But how exactly would she do it? It had to be noticeable as she thought before, as well as personal…

An idea suddenly popped into Darquesse. The very thought of what she was going to do made her form go tingly all over. It was brilliant! Unfortunately it meant that she was going to have to be patient and that was something she despised. But if it meant an awesome display, then no negative thoughts were made about it later.

Putting on speed, Darquesse searched for her next miserable host among the derelict streets of London [1].

* * *

**What is this mischievous plan then? Tell me what you think it is!**

**15.) A question you want to be answered in the next book.**

**Although the series is finished, my question would be about the Valduggery pairing and if he (Derek Landy) approved of it. That is all.**

**16.) Evilest Character.**

**Erskine Ravel. How he betrayed his friends like that was the cruellest act ever. How he stabbed Ghastly in the back (literally) and gave the order for Anton to be killed. And how he had been planning it for ages, the coward *snarls*. I would have taken the liberty of punishing him myself. **

**[1] I think that the ending to TDOTL implied that Darquesse entered the Faceless One's realm in Ireland, but she would have probably moved around a bit to get back to our world. Basically since I'm the author, she can do whatever she likes. She could even be a goldfish if I wanted her to. Hehe… **


	15. Uncovered Affections

**YAAAAAAAHHH! My exams are done, so my writing time has now been given back to me! ^-^**

**It feels good!**

**Just thought I'd let you know that I have created another fanfic called Pleasant Horizons. Not a fanfic as such but a collection of short stories centred around the SP universe. **

**Replies: **

**Beastlauren: Yes, that chapter did imply that Valduggery is going to be involved. THIS chapter however does involve the Valduggery pairing. Thank you for the compliment ;) **

**Irisarky: I am definitely continuing this fanfic, don't worry! **

**LionsandTrolls: He does the ship?! *fist pump*. Although I kinda knew he would. I read that story and it did satisfy my Valduggery urges. Thank you for it! ;)**

**(A/N These things [1], [2]… are going to be placed around the chapters and will hopefully answer anything confusing you have in your head about this. If you can't find your answer, PM me about it. I'll answer :3**

**A couple of chapters ago, I posted a joke which said I was going to stop the fanfic. It has been replaced by the real chapter and is followed as normal by the next ones. I apologise for the joke but as I said, I couldn't help it! XD **

**Disclaimer: (Different languages now because I can) Eu nu detin Skulduggery Pleasant .**

* * *

**WARNING: VALDUGGERY AHEAD (Finally!)**

* * *

The morning came as it always did: slow but welcoming. The orange emitted from the sun cast a warm shadow upon dreary Ireland, or more specifically, the Irish Sanctuary. It was as though it knew the problems dancing through everyone situated there at the moment, and wanted to do something to help. Not like it was going to make a difference or anything. These type of problems needed patience and intellect; two things which the fiery ball in the sky definitely did not have.

The skeleton detective awoke from his meditation to find an empty bed and his partner gone. Hope an anxiety blossomed within him. Question began to rapidly build up in his mind.

Skulduggery willed his feet to move forwards and walked to the foot of the bed. The first thing he noticed was that the duvet had been folded in one corner and the mattress cover had bunched up at one side. These two things were clear indicators that Valkyrie had gotten up of her own accord. It was a mystery how Skulduggery didn't notice her departure. Sighing to himself, he walked out of the room and went in search of his partner.

**x**

As Skulduggery wandered the halls of the Sanctuary, he contemplated what he was going to say to Valkyrie. What would you say to your partner who had just woken from a coma, whom of which you loved? The whole situation made Skulduggery nervous, not like he'd admit it to everyone else mind you. It was just that he had doubts concerning their current relationship. What would happen between them If Valkyrie didn't accept his feelings?

_Don't be stupid! _ An inner voice told him, _Didn't Dexter say she had feelings for you already? And that she has kept these same feelings hidden for years? _Skulduggery had forgotten about that conversation. And now because of that conversation (and another side of him) his confidence of his feelings grew. However, a little shred of doubt remained. How would she react?

He just had to find out for himself.

* * *

[1] Valkyrie was throwing punches at the battered bunching bag in a corner of the training room. She threw a mixture of left and right jabs and added a few kicks for good measure. She did this until she forgot about reality and focused only on her assault on the bag of sand. Al the emotions which had been building up over the years were let out.

Valkyrie didn't realise this yet, but the rusted screws holding the bag in place were starting to break. And they did just that when a well-aimed kick to the middle was launched. The bag smacked against the wall and dropped to the floor, narrowly missing Valkyrie. She stepped out of the way on instinct to avoid it.

Sighing, she picked up the bag by it's the straps attached to the top, chose a wall and leaned it up against it. Taking this as a sign that she should practice something else, Valkyrie sauntered to the middle of the training room and decided to work on her flips. She was about to flip backwards when a voice halted her, "And what might I ask did that punching bag ever do to you?"

Valkyrie recognised that voice immediately. It was silky and feminine; one that spoke of a delicate upbringing. Valkyrie walked towards her long missed friend.

"Hello, China." Valkyrie said.

"Hello, Valkyrie. Stopped sleeping on the job I see."

Valkyrie chuckled, "There was no job to sleep on."

"Touché, my dear, It has been a while hasn't it." The black-haired beauty replied.

A nod, "Yeah, it has been a while. I miss fighting and solving crimes with Skulduggery." A pause, "Speaking of him, how has he been doing while I've been, you know…"

China knew what She meant by this. "By okay do you mean wandering aimlessly around the Sanctuary, barely speaking to anyone or going about everyday life with a dark mood set over his being? He has not been himself since you left for America nor when you were under the influence of that mysterious ball of light for the past three days. Why do you think this is, Valkyrie?" She smiled.

Valkyrie's frown deepened, "What do you mean? I don't…" And that's when it clicked. She hoped she realised what China was implying, why Skulduggery had been acting like the beauty had described.

If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Skulduggery." And she darted down the corridor just outside the training room, leaving satisfied Grand Mage behind.

"Finally,"

* * *

Skulduggery had spent the last 30 minutes searching for Valkyrie. He had gone to every corner he knew of and talked to anyone willing to lend a hand. No one had seen her and no one knew of her whereabouts. Yet as he walked towards the Medical Wing for the 2nd time, his name was called out. Even though he couldn't see the person, he knew whose voice it belonged to.

"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie shouted. The skeleton turned around and saw his partner racing towards him. The sorcerers blocking her path quickly stepped to the side to allow her to pass. The slow ones were knocked out of the way by her speeding form. They gave her glares as she did so.

Valkyrie had at last reached him and stared into his empty sockets. To Skulduggery's astonishment, she put her hands either side of his skull.

And kissed him.

* * *

**17.) A song that reminds you of the series. **

**Until The End by Quiet drive. The name, the lyrics, the music in the background, it just fit the series (especially Val and Skul) perfectly. Just go listen to it if you haven't already ^.^**

**18.) Your favourite pairing. **

**I'm not going to answer this fully as you all probably know which pairing is my favourite :) **

**[1] Valkyrie went to the training room without Skulduggery because she felt like she needed to be alone. She also didn't want to wake him up. **


	16. End Result

**So,**

**Um,**

**Yeah.**

**Hi again.**

**How long has it been?**

**First of all, I apologise for the wait (screw you writer's block!). Second of all, for some reason it was the lovey dovey shiz in this chap which made me lack my concentration. I have no idea why, but it somehow did this thing to me and that thing made this thing happen. If my mind can stop being a douche-purse (AIZ reference heheh), then updates will come frequently. So, very, very, sorry.**

**Detailed Valduggery (FINALLY!)**

* * *

It was like a thousand fireworks had gone off inside her head. No screw that, a million. Her thoughts were incoherent and were not noticed. Her eyes were screwed shut to avoid the eyeless gaze borrowing into her. Her lips slid over his teeth; warm flesh over cold bone. Her hands slid over his clothed abdomen to make sure this wasn't all a dream; to make sure he was still there.

Valkyrie detached herself from Skulduggery's stiff form to see his response to her sudden action. Her eyes danced over the white surface of his skull to try and spot anything which would show her his reaction. It was a bad attempt at anything as skulls show no emotion, however, Valkyrie still clung to the hope she had been harbouring for the past years.

Skulduggery raised his hand. Valkyrie watched with astonishment as he brought it up to his collarbone and fingered the symbols etched onto him, allowing a face to flow over his blank features. He lowered his limb, but then brought his new face down to meet his partner's. Valkyrie could feel his hands find their ways on her body. One snaked around her waist and the other secured his hand behind his head. He crushed their bodies together before their lips crashed.

Valkyrie's eyes shot wide open at the action, but it only lasted for a small amount of seconds. Then she gently pushed up against him further to return the affection. This was what she had always wanted, for five long years she had dreamed of this moment. Five long years spent alone, wishing that she could have told him how she really felt. Years spent in regret and longing.

But by God it was worth it.

Skulduggery nipped and sucked at Valkyrie's mouth, evoking small gasps from between her swollen, pink lips. If he was to be honest to himself, he had never expected things to occur this quickly. It was unexpected, something he was uncomfortable with. He didn't think that Valkyrie felt for him in this way, although a small part of him suspected this fact. He _was_ a detective after all.

His focus was soon switched back to his partner when he felt a strange movement against his false lips. He opened his eyes to see Valkyrie smiling against his mouth. Wondering why, he pulled away from her mouth but still held her in his arms. She opened her eyes soon after.

"Why are you smiling, Miss Cain?" He asked.

Realising that Skulduggery had noticed, Valkyrie replied. "I'd just remembered one of Cassandra Pharos' visions from all those years ago."

"You're smiling because we were told about the end of the world?"

She thumped his chest, "First of all, I would never smile at that, and I don't recall my ever doing so, and secondly, no I'm not. I'm smiling because I remembered when she told me of a boyfriend I'd have in the future. I'm not yet sure, but I think that it came true."

Skulduggery was astonished. Never back then had he thought that he would be Valkyrie's next love interest.

He chuckled at this and offered his bony arm to his companion. With the other, he removed the façade from his skull. They then began to walk.

"Where exactly are we going?" asked Valkyrie. "We just seemed to have begun walking with no clue as to where it is we're headed. Please tell me its food, I'm kinda hungry."

"I didn't plan on it but we could get you some. It seems as though your time in that coma has affected your hunger patterns. Then again, just about anyone can want food some distance away from their allocated meal times. As for the matter where we're headed off to, since you mentioned that vision, I think a visit to Cassandra is in order. She may help shed some light onto why you suddenly fell asleep for three days."

"Ah, good idea. I'm quite curious myself."

"I'm full of good ideas; now what kind of detective would I be if I had none?"

"Shut up, can we just go? My curiosity is threatening to blow over."

They continued walking and after a while, exited the Sanctuary.

* * *

**Sometimes, I don't think I even chapter good.**

**Questions: **

**19.) Pairing I don't like:**

**Nefarian x Valkyrie *shudders*. I remember reading a fanfic a while back about a time where Valkyrie went to capture/kill Nefarian but one thing led to another and eventually both enemies were Doing The Deed at the end of the fic. I just can't even think why anyone in their right mind would ship those two. I mean, why? **

**20.) My favourite book:**

**Dark Days. I just loved it so much. There were bits I kept re-reading over and over again because they made me laugh or they made me think really deeply about the characters. And the bit particularly where Valkyrie ventured into the Faceless One's dimension and was willing to go and find Skulduggery all by herself. That made me think about the strong bond those two have. It proves that both will follow the other to the end of the world or to the deepest depths of hell to get the other back. There are many moments like that through the entire series, but that, by far, is my favourite.**


	17. Recollections of the Past

**Okay, if anyone is following the Skulduggery Pleasant: Short Stories and Discussions page on Facebook, you would have been notified of a project which should be created as an animation series which centres in the SP world. Production should begin soon as artists, voice actors and music composers have all been chosen and work is under way. And I have some rather good news for this.**

***drum roll***

**I'm voice acting in it!**

**Yeah, it's a really awesome thing to do and I'm really excited for when it is released =w=**

**If you guys are interested, when it begins I'll post the link to the page on my FF profile and y'all can watch.**

**And yeah, I'm going to see if I can improve my updating skills .~. sorry for the wait (again)**

**Disclaimer: Jag äger inte Skulduggery Pleasant , alla righs till serien hör till den otroligt häftigt Derek Landy !**

* * *

**aaand also, a hugely missed character shall make a re-appearance in this chappy. **

**Just a lil heads up there ;)**

* * *

China watched from her place at the window as Skulduggery's Bently left the Sanctuary and sped off down the dirt track leading towards the open fields surrounding Roarhaven. Why they were doing so was out of China's knowledge, yet she had no power over where the two detectives travelled to in their time. So with a sigh, she turned away from the floor-to-wall window she was stood at and seated herself back at the mahogany desk in the room.

She had missed Valkyrie and it was very evident the skeleton had too. However, it was not just the two sorcerers who had missed the dark-haired beauty. It seemed as though the entirety of the Irish Sanctuary had quietened down at the departure of the detective. And since her re-appearance, everyone's moods were back to normal. It was rather refreshing to be in a good mood, if China did say so herself.

Her desk was stacked high with documents and dog-eared slips of paper. They all spoke of new costs for the medical wing and also for the costs surrounding the re-building of Roarhaven after Darquesse. The medical wing she could handle, but the amount needed to pay off the repairs? Dang, it was a lot. At a guess it would be many years before the remaining amount was paid off.

She could still remember the weight of the power in the air and the psychopathic sorcerer who wielded it. Every hour of that day she could recall clearly as if it were permanently etched into her brain. Even after all these meaningless years, she could still remember so much about that one day which changed everyone's lives.

Her desk chair groaned as she sat upon it. The cool leather managed to get through China's skirt and sent a chill shooting up her spine. She ignored it and instead reached out for the ballpoint pen resting next to a pile of paperwork.

China lost track of time as each document passed her hands. The pen glided across the paper and wrote the signature of the Grand Mage on each parchment. By the time all pieces of paper had been carefully read over and signed, it was the early afternoon.

Deciding a walk was needed to prevent her legs from seizing; China stood from her desk and waltzed over to the grand doors which opened into the hallway. Each click of her heels echoed from the stone walls of the Sanctuary. China wondered where everyone must be if she could hear the petite clicks of her shoes.

After quite some time, the first signs of life were clear. A small number of mages were hurrying about their business and most paused in their movements to greet China as they passed. A simple nod was given in return then both sorcerers parted ways. Nothing was to be discussed so why wait longer than needed?

Whilst walking further along, China could hear the faint yells of a training session in progress. Whilst continuing towards said room, China's heel clicks were drowned out by the barbaric yells of an unknown mage. Finally she reached the chamber and pushed open the portal which would grant her passage into the area.

A rock wall decorated one side, a twisting climbing frame occupied the far side, a grand swimming pool was visible in the room over and various other training equipment were displayed in the middle of the room, waiting for anyone to test their limits, to break a sweat and tear their muscles.

However, the noise was located elsewhere; it seemed to be coming from the smaller room which was used if anyone wanted a bit of privacy when training. China waltzed over to the small room and stood at the door, silently witnessing the routine of the person inside.

Thump after thump reverberated around the small room as the blond haired woman in the centre relentlessly abused the defenceless, leather boxing bag. China watched with a mild fascination as the muscles beneath Tanith Low's skin moved and shifted with each swing she took. She watched for many minutes as the mage trained; silently observing her movements and sometimes anticipating the next. The rhythm of fists slamming against the leather was the only audible resonance in the small area.

"No disrespect or anything, _Grand Mage_, but I'm starting to get a little weirded out by your staring. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop."

China was snapped out of her observation when Tanith spoke. Her deep, icy, blue eyes flickered up to meet those of the Londoner's chocolate ones. They filled with warmth upon seeing the old acquaintance.

"Tanith, it's been a long time." Greeted China, "Where have you been, if you don't mind me asking?"

The blonde flashed a smile. "Unfinished business, if you could call it that. Then there was that case you gave me. You know the one in Australia?"

"Ah yes, how did that turn out?"

Tanith's light demeanour soon turned sour, "Have you ever had to spend a week with greasy hair and with no access to shampoo? Whatsoever?"

"Can't say that I have, that must have been agonising for you."

"It. Was."

"What a shame then. I'll take it that you won't accept new cases from that region?"

Tanith's face said it all. China only smiled and proceeded to move away from the topic with the news the swordswoman had been waiting years to hear.

"It's quite interesting that you decided to show up now. 5 years can really change an individual."

Tanith's glare dropped and her eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean, China? What's wrong with me coming back?"

"It's just that I thought you would want to know this." China looked at the punching bag Tanith had been pounding prior to her arrival and waited for a reply.

"China, what is it."

And as casually as she could, the Grand Mage replied:

"I just thought you would like to know that Valkyrie Cain has returned after her 5 year vacation. She certainly took her time."

Tanith's face went blank. She stared at China's with a gaping mouth and wide eyes.

China nearly feel backwards from the sudden movement of the swordswoman's rush to exit the room.

* * *

**21.) Dream cast:**

**Really? Now? It's late and I personally can't be bothered =u=**

**Fine**

**David Tennant (Skulduggery) ~ He already has that accent but his voice just sounds too high for me. Maybe it could be altered to make it deeper? **

**Maisie Williams (Valkyrie/Stephanie) ~ She looks like she could portray Valkyrie/Stephanie really well and she kinda looks like how I imagined Valkyrie when I first began reading the series.**

***just these two, sorry guys***

**22.) Favourite Scene:**

**In book one where Skulduggery saved Stephanie from Serpine's henchman. It's basically the moment where their friendship began and how everything started. And when Stephanie held Skulduggery's wig hostage? That cracked me up xD**


	18. The Ways of a Sensitive

**I'm not sure what so say I hope this chapter will be satisfactory for the huge wait I've put you all through.**

**(Sorry about that by the way)**

**The first episode of Welcome To Rehabilitation 7-03 is up on YouTube so there's that to watch if you're interested.**

**I'm done talking, c'ya in the next chappie.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Skulduggery Pleasant series. Derek Landy is the rightful owner of Skulduggery, Valkyrie and the world of magic, I own nothing ;-;**

* * *

The Bentley purred over the countryside on its way to Cassandra Pharos' cottage. The occupants inside believed a visit to the Sensitive would be required in order to shed some light upon recent events. Hopefully, she would provide the answers they needed, but one would only have to hope.

"Are we there yet?" Asked Valkyrie, her right arm was out the window and she was enjoying the breeze wafting through the opening. It sent her long, ebony hair flying in every direction inside the interior of the vehicle.

"Are you being serious? You've asked that like 10 times up to this point." Replied Skulduggery, "I thought you were 25 not 6."

Valkyrie turned towards him and shot a glare, "I am 25," Then she smiled, "I'm only doing this to annoy you; it's been ages since we had this kind of talk. I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things."

"Understandable, you've been absent from my company for far too long. I'd expect you to miss me."

He earned a laugh in response; it had been many years since he'd heard such a beautiful sound. He stole a quick glance over at his part…no, girlfriend, and watched as she rested her head on the opening of the window and closed her eyes. Even though he knew driving without his eyes on the road was dangerous, he could not help but to remind himself how lucky he was to have her.

A car honked loudly. Skulduggery whipped his head back to the road and swerved to the left just in time to avoid a neon pink car as it whizzed past. Skulduggery went stiff in his seat as he realised how close he was from destroying his beloved car.

He could hear Valkyrie move in the seat beside him. He knew what came next.

"Please don't," Was all he said.

She rested her head once again and smiled up at the sky. The remaining journey was spent in silence.

* * *

"Skulduggery! Valkyrie, my dear! What a surprise this is! To whom do I owe the pleasure of such an unexpected visit?" Cassandra Pharos enveloped Valkyrie in a large hug which lasted a few seconds. She then turned to Skulduggery who simply shook her hand.

"Me, of course," Announced the skeleton, "But we have not come here for a small get-together, we are in need of your assistance. Did you happen to feel ill or get a nosebleed at any point this past week?"

Cassandra thought hard about this, "Now that you mention it, I did. I felt nauseous and my nose did bleed but there was nothing else that had a great deal of effect on me then. I'm guessing this is why you've visited me?"

"You guess correctly. Myself and Valkyrie believe you can help us figure out why it happened; it seems as though everyone in the Sanctuary suffered the same fate."

The old woman frowned then shook her head, "How strange. Unfortunately, I cannot help you there. I highly doubt any visions I may have will give you the answers you need. Remember, Skulduggery, I'm a Sensitive, and I cannot see the past as it has already happened. It looks as though you may have to wait it out and see what outcomes come of this."

"Ah," Said a disappointed Skulduggery, "Come along, Valkyrie. Thank you for your time, Cassandra."

He began to leave and stepped aside so Valkyrie could exit before him. Just as she stepped outside, Cassandra spoke up. "Skulduggery, hold up. Being a Sensitive does not only mean I can predict the future, it also means I can read the minds and auras of the people I focus on when close to them. So if you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to not leave immediately at the sight of a dead end; it's not something that I would associate you with doing."

Skulduggery thought for a minute then whipped his head towards the direction Valkyrie went, "Valkyrie!" He shouted, "Don't go to the Bentley. Yes, I know I told you to but we're in luck." A moment later, the aforementioned person stepped back around the door and returned to the shelter of the house.

"Valkyrie, I believe you are the one who has suffered the most when whatever did happen happened. Please can you bring up that chair over there and seat yourself before me."

Valkyrie did so in quick procession and sat before Cassandra whilst she steadied her breathing.

"Cassandra, can I ask you something?" Said Valkyrie.

"You may."

"Are you going to read my mind?"

Aforementioned woman frowned, "It does take the fun out of it but I suppose you could call it that. Not exactly like it though, only more reading the feelings surrounding it than actually going into your brain. Normally through this particular method, the both of us will be spiritually transported to a realm where we can study these thoughts or feelings more accurately. You do not need to worry about any *ahem* _private _thoughts; we will only see what we need to see." She winked at Valkyrie, causing her to blush.

Deciding now was the perfect time to change the subject, Skulduggery interrupted, "How did you know it was Valkyrie who had undergone different circumstances than the rest of us?" Asked Skulduggery. Cassandra opened her eyes and winked at him. "Being a Sensitive has its perks sometimes." She turned back to Valkyrie, "Now, dear, all I want you to do is relax. Clear your mind of any thoughts which don't relate to those days. When you are ready to begin give me your hands so I can physically connect with you; it makes the mental connection stronger on my part."

Valkyrie breathed in and out through her mouth and closed her eyes. She opened them to see Cassandra muttering in a rapid voice in a tongue she did not understand. The old woman's hands were clasped firmly around her own and a strange warmth began to spread outwards from where their skin met. It travelled up her arms, creeped up her neck and finally, when it reached her head, it disappeared. She opened her eyes and looked at Cassandra. She noticed immediately that her eyes were not the same emerald green she had known them to be. Instead, both orbs had darkened to the deepest green imaginable. It was extremely creepy to say the least.

"Is it over?" Valkyrie spoke up. Cassandra looked her in the eyes and whispered:

"We haven't even started yet, dear."

There was a flash, a burst of white noise and the last thing Valkyrie heard was Skulduggery's voice.

"Have fun, love."

Everything else faded to white noise.

* * *

**23.) Your Favourite Quote: I do have a favourite quote, but it's not from this series. I'll just find one I like and post it here:**

**"The world is bigger than you know, and scarier than you might imagine. The only currency worth anything is being true to yourself, and the only goal worth seeking is finding out who you truly are."**

**24.) Your favourite thing about the series: I guess it's the bond that all the main characters have with each other. I'm not tallking about them as individuals, I'm on about them all as a whole. They're all willing to fight and die for the other, even if they don't like them that much. They're all friends, brothers in arms and basically one large family, and I love that. Derek Landy has created a masterpiece with these characters, and I hope he continues to do so in the future.**


End file.
